25 Ways to Find Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a term that has surfaced only within the last 50 years or so. It is a common concern today as many people strive to prioritize their life and live it in balance. Unfortunately, striving for this balance is creating an untold amount of stress for those who so ardently wish to "have it all." It can feel like a tug-of-war, except this contest takes place on a deep level–your soul is screaming that it needs something different.

How do you manage work and life; your job and your personal life? How do you effectively prioritize your responsibilities both at home and at work? How do you not feel guilty about loving work or spending too much time there? Or, how do you not feel guilty about wanting more leisure time or more time with your family, partner, or friends?  How do you find a life outside of work or outside of family?  How do you not feel so stressed out about finding the right balance? How do you live a life you love because right now, it’s just not working?

Here’s some news you probably won’t like: There is no such thing as a perfect work-life balance. It differs for all of us, and once you think you’ve gotten the hang of it, something inevitably changes. If you are concerned about finding a balance in life, it starts from within.

Work-life balance is made easier when you discover what your priorities in life are and you examine what your perception is of work-life balance. What does work-life balance look like to you? What would have to change? What are your priorities? What is important to you? What if you found out you only had a year to live?  You still had to make a living and be responsible to society, to your family, and to yourself, but what would you do differently?

If you can’t afford to spend more time at home, make the time you are there count. Be present and in the moment. Same thing for work. Do you really need to sign on for another commitment? Is it hard to say no to superfluous obligations?

Pay attention to what you complain about. Find proactive solutions to these problems, or if you can’t, find a way to shift your thoughts about them.  Get excited about both aspects of your life–or at least one–so that when you are in either work or your other life, you are finding meaning and fulfillment.

Sometimes in life, we have to do things we may not enjoy. Sometimes we have to work hard at our job in order to get to a good place in our career. Raising a family can be overwhelming sometimes because of the demands of children. Having been a stay-at-home mom for many years, I can attest to the fact that being a parent is the hardest job in the world. Find something outside of your job that you love and are passionate about. Have dreams outside of your careers so that you have a passion that moves you forward during exceptionally trying times.

Achieving work-life balance is virtually impossible because the personal formula is always changing. Flexibility is one of the keys, prioritizing what is important in your life by taking an inventory of your values, being present, doing your best and recognizing there is no perfection–these are all so important to keep in mind when you are struggling with the meaning of it all. Why do you work? Do you do it for financial gains, for recognition, for meaning and fulfillment, for escape–assess the why’s and ask yourself if they reflect your values.  Are you working at a job you love?

If your personal life is lacking, ask yourself if you need to search for some meaning in this area of your life. Why does this area need attention? Are your relationships lacking, does your health need attention? What about your personal growth or your contribution to the world around you?  Instead of beating yourself up, look for positive ways to build this aspect of your life back up. Sometimes work-life balance is skewed because of issues in your life that are not being addressed. 

Here are 25 ways to find your work-life balance:

1. Gratitude. Think about the things in life that are going well and those things you are grateful for. Things could always be a lot worse!

“So often we are depressed by what remains to be done and forget to be thankful for all that has been done.” -Marian Wright Edelman

2. Complaining. Pay attention to what your complaints are. Figure out a solution to them, or accept it as it is. Complaining is a red flag that something needs to shift.

3. The P word–Perfection. There’s no such thing as perfection. You can only do your best in a moment.

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.” –Harriet Braiker

4. Attitude. Your attitude toward any aspect of life affects how you view it–not to mention it affects the people around you!

5. Passion. Find something to do that you’re passionate about. When you have something positive to focus on, it makes the day a whole lot better. You may not enjoy your job, for example, but if you have a hobby, a relationship, an activity, or something else that provides meaning and fulfillment in your life it makes the rest of the time so much sweeter.

6. Your job’s future. If you have a job you don’t enjoy, is there ultimately a payoff in the future? Are you working long hours for a promotion? If there is no future, consider changing careers.

7. Focus on relationships. If you are working at a job you love, but your relationship or relationships aren’t great, consider focusing on this area and giving it the attention it deserves.  Human beings thrive on connection.

8. Values. Now that you know there’s no such thing as work-life balance, how would you define it right now in your terms? What needs to change?  Find out what your values are, if you don’t know already, and structure your life around these values.

9. Meaning and fulfillment. When you are feeling unbalanced, it usually means you are lacking a source of meaning and fulfillment in your life.  Find out what activities make you lose all sense of time and incorporate them into your life.  (As a woman, I know that many females tend to shop when feeling an emptiness in their lives.  It can be a nice bonding experience with friends, but check in with yourself when you arrive home to see if there is something else going on.)

10. Needs. Feeling unbalanced also means that some of your needs are not getting met.  You can’t get all of your needs met all the time, but you do have the right to have most of them met.  What are your needs? Are you comfortable asking for some of your needs to be met?

11. Watch less tv and spend less time on the computer. These can be methods of numbing ourselves and checking out of life. Put a limit on them and find other ways to fill up your life (see #12, 13, and 14).

12. Meditation and self-reflection time. Schedule in some time for meditation or quiet.  Take time during your busy day to plug back in to your essential self.

13. Take care of your body. Take time to exercise and to eat right.  Take care of your body so that you’ll have the energy and good health you need to overcome anything!

14.  Take some time to have fun!  Make a list of activities that feel like play to you, that make you smile, or make you laugh.  Do one of them each day.

15. Focus on the positive. What’s going right in your life?

16. Talk to a therapist or coach. They can help you find ways to manage your time better or to prioritize what is really important to you.  Sometimes all you need is someone with a different perspective who is not as close to the problem as you are.  If you’re interested in coaching, us here through our website.

17. Long-term goals. Think about a long-term goal you have and take steps each day to move you closer to your dream.

18. Be, do, have. How do you want to be, what do you want to have, what do you want to do one year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now?  Are you on that path, or have you veered off?

19. Self-care. What is one nice thing you can do for yourself everyday that will make life go more smoothly? Self-care is so important, especially during those times when you are stressed out! Make a list of those things that are nurturing for you and incorporate these into your daily routine.

20. What went well today? Each evening, go over the things that went well for you.

21. Organization. Do you need to be more organized? What is a project, if you tackled it, would make a huge difference in your life? Do a little bit toward organization every day. For example, while you’re talking on the phone, clean out a junk drawer.

22. Delegate. Hire a maid to clean your house if you are pressed for time.  Have them come twice or once a month if this is an expenditure you can’t afford.  How much is your time worth?  Are you worth it? Learn how to delegate some of the tasks you don’t like.

23. Let go of relationships that aren’t working. There are some types of people who bring you down, there are others who lift you up.  Figure out which ones are detracting from your life and determine whether it is better to let these people go from your life.

24. Get a change of scenery. Go on a vacation. Sometimes just getting away from it all for even a day or two has a way of recharging your batteries. Being in a different place has a way of shifting our perspective and nourishing our soul.

25. Nature. Spend some time reconnecting with nature.  Look up into the night sky, feel the grass on your feet, listen to the sounds of birds–these things have a way of reminding us that there is a deeper source of life than what we are currently caught up in.

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